If you’re anything like us, you’re hunkered down at home again, cooking up a storm, ordering meals to go, and generally hiding from Omicron. Under the circumstances, the sunny, flavorful Tex-Mex takeout from MB Foodhouse really hits the spot.
The newest entrant to the North Loop Galley food hall in Minneapolis is helmed by Texas transplant Kristen Martinez, a.k.a. the leader of local noise-rap group Moodie Black.
MB Foodhouse owner Kristen Martinez // Photo by Kevin Kramer for Minnesota Monthly
The El Paso native, who has lived in the Twin Cities off and on since 2008, is armed with a roster of delicious family recipes. “My grandma used to make me an amazing breakfast every morning before school — simple things like chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, hot dogs and egg, and toast with butter, cinnamon, and sugar,” says Martinez. “When I got older and came back home, she would ask me every morning what I wanted to eat. I was spoiled.”
MB Foodhouse first built its cult following through pop-ups at HeadFlyer Brewing and Five Watt Coffee. Martinez’s partner in kitchen crime is her ride-or-die bandmate Sean Lindahl. The duo sling tacos on handmade corn tortillas from Gustavo Romero’s Nixta, mile-high tortas (including a tempting vegetarian option made with cauliflower and beans), and hand-rolled green chili beef-and-potato taquitos drowning in red sauce. Inspired by 68-year-old El Paso institution Chico’s Tacos, they’re a must-try.
Photo by Kevin Kramer for Minnesota Monthly
Brunch, served from 11:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, is a weekend winner. Our favorite breakfast tacos are served on house-made flour tortillas with chorizo, egg, potato, and cheese or chopped hot dogs with eggs. Martinez also makes a mean chilaquiles breakfast bowl—plus a vegan option with sautéed portobello green chili mushrooms.
Minnevangelist co-founder Andrew Parks interviewed Martinez for the new issue of Minnesota Monthly. Click here to read the full Q+A, where they dig into common misconceptions about Tex-Mex cuisine, challenges Martinez has faced as a trans woman moving through more conservative corners of the restaurant world, and her favorite Mexican spots throughout the Twin Cities.
MB Foodhouse
North Loop Galley, 729 N. Washington Ave., Ste. 102, Minneapolis, MN; 612-217-0735.
